No Nuance November

Fallout

Part 2 of the 4 part series

 Jason has never heard Damian panic.

He didn't think the kid knew how with him being bred for perfection and all that nonsense.

Jason didn't answer the call at first. Damian never called but he was still a pain in Jason's ass so he's always willing to pay it back whenever possible.

He regrets that now.

Three back to back calls were enough to tell Jason whatever was going on was deathly serious. Even Damian wouldn't do this to get back at him for something.

It was absolute chaos behind him. Jason could hear people shouting in the background and what disturbingly sounded like a siren. Damian himself was clearly distraught. He wasn't able to articulate any of his thoughts. Lots of broken sentences and gasping for breath. Jason knew a panic attack when he heard one and Damian was clearly in the middle of a bad one. Not ideal.

"Damian, I cannot help if I don't know where you are." Jason instructs calmly. "Tell me five things you can see."

It takes Damian a minute to answer. "I s- I see a... a, um, a pair of scissors, and- gauze." he pauses, making an attempt to calm himself more so that he can tell Jason the three other things. "I can see blood, and..."

"C'mon, you're doing so well. Two more things." Jason pushed slightly, even though the scene Damian describes is not great.

"My shoes." Damian spits out. "And- um, needles."

"Where are you?" Jason tries again.

"I am in the back of an ambulance, we are going to Gotham General." His voice is shaky but much calmer and more put together.

"We?" Jason can think of a million reasons why this might be, none of them good.

Damian sucks in a breath. "Richard was shot."

There's a ringing in Jason's ears. Sure it was on the list of possibilities but not that high up. He can feel the panic building. Rising in his throat with bile. He feels sick.

Jason swallows. Panic later, problem now. "Okay. Stay with him, I am on my way. Did you tell Bruce or Alfred?"
Not likely since he's calling Jason in the middle of a panic attack.

"No, Father is in a meeting and won't answer and I have no idea where Pennyworth is but he wasn't answering when I called."

Jason thought that was weird. Alfred always answered the phone, of course the one time it's most urgent he's away in the garden or something.

"Okay, don't worry. I'll take care of it. You just stay with Dick."

"I will." Damian agrees before disconnecting the call .

Jason is pulling on shoes and scanning for his jacket as he called the manor. It rings a grand total of four times, in that time Jason had pulled his shoes on, had his jacket in hand, and was running down the stairs of the apartment. Gotham general was close, he planned on running there. But then decides that was unwise and grabs his bike.

On the fourth ring Alfred picks up. Thankfully.

"Wayne Manor." Alfred greets.

"Alfred, Dick was shot, he's heading to Gotham General with Damian and he can't get a hold of Bruce." Jason mounts his bike as it roars to life.

"When?"

"Not sure, I'm heading there now." Jason shouts over the engine.

"I'll be there shortly."